Burglar-alarm.



Patented lan. I4, |902. W. H. REIFF.

BURGLAR ALARM.

(Application led Mar. 28, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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l INVENTOH WM UC 'QW A Tl'OlWEkl W/TNESSES miren States arent Dreier..

lVILLlAM llfRElFF, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BURGLARMALARM.

SPEQElGAllON forming part of Letters Patent No. 690,997, dated January14, 1902.

Application filed March 28,1901. Serial No. 53.174. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. REIFF, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBurglar-Alarms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention has for its object the provision of a burglar-alarm ofsimple and efficient construction and operation, whereby a cartridge oran ordinary percussion-cap may be exploded by the act of opening a dooror winvdow adjacent to which the device is located.

The invention, as generally stated, comprises a suitable base or frameadapted to be fixed to a door or window jamb and provided with acartridge or cap retainer, in combina- -tion with a spring-controlledplunger normally movable toward said retainer, and means, including aprojecting arm, for temporarily locking said plunger in retractedposition in opposition to the spring, whereby when the door or window isopened byan intruder it will impinge against and turn said arm in amanner to release the plunger,which, forcibly striking the opposingcartridge or cap, will iire the same, and thus sound an alarm.

The invention also comprises various novel features of construct-ion,which will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of the device, showingthe plunger thereof in elevated position. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthereof. Fig. 3 isa plan of the device as applied to a door.

A is a frame comprising in its preferred form a vertical base-plate a,provided on its outward side with a housing a', at its upper end with anoutwardly-extending lug a2, and at its lower end with a tubularprojection a3, the whole being preferably cast in an integral piece.Extending xedly from the back of the base is a screw d, by means ofwhich the frame may be readily aflixed to a door (or window) jarnb inproximity to the movable door, (or window-sash.) The base is alsopreferably provided with screw-holes di for the insertion of additionalscrews, if desired. The tubular projection affords a chamber for thereception of an ordinary blank cartridge C.

Loosely fitted to guide-openings in the respective ends of the housingis a plunger B, which is movable longitudinally toward and from thecartridge-chamber. This plunger is maintained movably depressed by theaction of a strong spring b, which encircling the plunger bears at itslower end upon a lateral stud b' on the latter and on its upper endagainst the top of the housing. The lower end of the plunger ispreferably pointed, as at bx, to constitute a firing-pin, andits upperend is provided with a laterallyextending arm b2. The outer edge of thelug a2 of the frame is provided with a V-shaped recess d, so located asto receive the upper end of the plunger when the latter is drawn upwardagainst the pressure of the spring and to afford on said .lug twoshoulders, upon either of which the arm may be turned in a manner tosupport the plunger in the elevated position.

To use the device above described, it is afiixed to a door (or window) jamb D, as stated, the door (or window) D is closed, the plunger israised, the arm b2 thereof is turned upon the lug a2, (either to theright or left, as required,) so as to extend into the path of the door(or window-sash) if the latter be opened, and a blank cartridge, as C,is inserted in the cartridge-chamber. This being done, if the door (orsash) be opened by an intruder the door (or sash) will strike theopposing arm b2 and turn it upon the lug until it reaches the recess,whereupon the plunger, being freed, will be forced downward by theaction of the spring in a manner to forcibly strike and thereby explodethe cartridge.

In order that an ordinary paper percussioncap may be used with thedevice, the plunger is provided at a point above the housing with aloose plate b3, between which and the opposing end of the housing a capmay be nserted when the plunger is raised. When the plunger is released,the arm b2 forcibly strikes the plat-e and effects by the concussion theexplosion of the cap.

I preferably, though not essentially, pivot on the outer wall of thehousing a button E, which may be swung laterally outward, so as toperform the function of a check for the IOO partially-open door when thecartridge or cap l normally to maintain said plunger in close has beenred. relation to the cartridge-chamber, together I claimv with aconcussion-plate loosely mounted on In a device of the characterdescribed, the said plunger adjacent to the housing. Combination With asupport provided at its In testimony Whereoi` I have hereunto afendswith a lug and a cartridge-chamber, rex fixed my signature in thepresence of two sub- Speetively, and provided between said lug scribingwitnesses. and chamber, With a housing, of a plunger p slidingly fittedto the ends of said housing, a I WILLIAM H REIFF' laterally extendingarm on said plunger adapted to be engaged with said lug, and a springcontained in said housing and tending Witnesses:

ANDREW V. GROUPE, JOHN R. NOLAN.

